Tatsuno, dissolved municipality in Hyōgo prefecture, Japan
Tatsuno is a dissolved municipality in Hyogo Prefecture, in the Kansai region of Japan. It sits along the Ibo River and has a historic center with a castle, old merchant houses, and narrow streets dating from the Edo period.
The area's roots go back to the Kofun period, but the town took its current shape during the Edo period when the castle was built and the Sanyo Road became a busy trade route. In 2005, the municipality merged with neighboring towns and lost its status as a separate entity.
Tatsuno is known for its somen noodles, made in the area for centuries thanks to the clean water of the Ibo River. Small restaurants around the town center serve them cold with a dipping sauce, which is how locals have eaten them for generations.
The historic center is easy to cover on foot since most points of interest are close to each other. The Sanyo Main Line stops at Tatsuno Station, and the Kishin Line connects to other directions, making it easy to arrive by train.
Tatsuno Castle was built without a main tower, which makes it a palace castle, a type that is rare among Japanese fortifications. Since no original plans survived, the reconstruction relied on written records and old illustrations rather than blueprints.
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